


I've Been Losing My Religion

by MadGirl_SpaceGirl_StarGirl



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Anti-Hero, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Domestic Violence, F/M, Frank being Frank, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Its the punisher for gods sake, LOTS of violence, Possible smut if I can get over being an awkward dumbass, Vigilantism, Violence, but - Freeform, fluffy bits too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:08:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22900021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadGirl_SpaceGirl_StarGirl/pseuds/MadGirl_SpaceGirl_StarGirl
Summary: (AU FROM END OF SEASON 2)Frank made a promise.To Amy.To Curt.The Punisher was dead.That part of his life was done.Frank's been living a quiet life and even making friends. Well one friend.But then a phone call drags him back into his old ways again.It was supposed to be one job... but it's never just one job.Now he and the people he care about are in danger.And all he wanted to do was talk to a pretty girl in a diner.Now he has to keep himself and her alive.(Shit summary I know, swear the story's better)
Relationships: Frank Castle/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

“Do you ever eat?”

Frank looked up from his coffee to see her watching him from over the top of her book.

“Do you ever shut up?” was his response and she laughed softly.

Even Frank’s mouth twitched slightly.

They both knew his statement was bullshit.

Lily Moran was as quiet as they came.

Almost as quiet as Frank.

In fact in all the times he had sat in the diner, Frank had never seen her utter more than two words to anyone but him.

Their quiet bantering had started when he spotted her notebook.

* * *

_“Vampire?”_

_She had nearly jumped out of her skin when he read the word out loud from behind her right shoulder._

_“You think I’m a vampire?”_

_He wasn’t sure why he had asked. He didn’t really care, just found it mildly amusing. It wasn’t the first time he had noticed the girl. She’d always seemed out of place for the crappy diner._

_Too soft._

_Too soft surrounded by the construction guys, junkies, dealers and gang bangers who hung out at the diner._

_He wasn’t going to talk to her._

_But then Maria’s voice came back to him, a memory of a long forgotten conversation after he first got back from deployment._

_“You should talk more. To people I mean. Friends. I don’t want you to become a shut in.”_

_“You think I’m a vampire?”_

_“I… I… It’s just…”_

_“Relax girl.”_

_Frank chuckled lowly, before surprising himself and her by sliding into the other side of the booth._

_“Why a vampire?”_

_She eyed him warily for a moment, before saying slowly_

_“It’s… it’s one of several theories I’m considering.”_

_“Oh yeah? Why I gotta be anything but human?”_

_“I’ve never seen you eat.”_

_Frank didn’t say anything, and the girl took that as an invite to continue._

_“You show up, you sit in the same booth every time and you only order coffee.”_

_“Maybe I just like the coffee here.”_

_“No one likes the coffee here.”_

_Girl was quick he’d give her that._

_“Alright. So coffee equals vampire? Not seein’ the logic there kid.”_

_“You clearly don’t read crappy young adult romance books. Vampire’s drink coffee so that their bodies stay warm and doesn’t give away that they’re dead. And I’m not a kid.”_

_“Whatever. Look like a kid.”_

_“Maybe you’re not a vampire. Maybe you’re just an asshole.”_

_For a quiet girl she had a hell of a smart mouth._

_“Okay. So you’re not a kid. You got a name? Or should I just start callin’ you Buffy?”_

_“Only if I stake your undead ass.”_

_That pulled a rare, low chuckle out of Frank._

_“Name?”_

_“Lily.”_

_“Pete.”_

_They shook hands._

_“So Miss Lily” every instinct in Frank was telling him to leave, but he liked the kid – not – kid, so he carried on “Your momma know where you’re at? Ain’t you got school tomorrow or some shit?”_

_“I’m 21 asshole. And my momma hasn’t known where I’ve been at for 12 years.”_

_“Sorry.”_

_“Don’t be.”_

_They sat in silence for quite some time._

_When a beeping noise came from the watch on Lily’s wrist she jumped, checked the time, muttered_

_“Shit!”_

_Then shoved her notebook into her shoulder bag and jumped to her feet._

_“Gotta jet. Goodbye Pete.”_

* * *

That had been their first interaction.

Lily hadn’t seen him for days after that.

But then he started to appear almost weekly at the diner and they fell into a weird routine.

Whoever arrived first would sit at the booth in the back right corner of the diner.

Whoever arrived second would sit in the next booth over.

Frank would drink coffee. Lily would drink her strawberry milkshake and pick at a plate of fries which she mostly left unfinished.

Every time he saw her, Lily had a new book in her hands and she would sit and read it, occasionally taking notes while Frank watched whatever game was on the washed out T.V in the corner.

“Do you ever eat?”

“Do you ever shut up?”

Lily laughed softly and Frank felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

“What you readin’ tonight?”

In answer, Lily held up a battered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.

“Thought you read that one already?”

“No” Lily rolled her eyes “That was Mockingjay Pete.”

“Mockingjay, Mockingbird – hell’s the difference?”

“One’s a completely fictional bird?”

“Smartass.”

Suddenly Frank’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and frowned as ‘No Caller ID’ came up on his screen.

He considered for a moment before answering the call.

“Hello?”

“Long time, no word Castle. I’m hurt really.” 


	2. Lily The Vampire Slayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank gets a call that pisses him off.   
> Someone brings up Lisa Castle.   
> That someone is stupid.

“Madani?”

For a second Frank was surprised.

Then he was pissed.

“The hell you callin’ me for?” he hissed down the phone.

Frank noticed that Lily was watching him, brow furrowed slightly. He raised one finger, indicating for her to wait a second, as he got up and walked out to stand out the front of the diner.

“You got some nerve callin’ me.”

“Save me the bitching Castle. I’m already swallowing my pride enough as it is calling you.” Dinah Madani’s voice sounded like a mix of tired and scornful.

“Oh yeah why’s that?”

“I need your help Castle.”

“Yeah, not gonna happen.”

“Castle goddammit, do you think I’d be calling you if I had literally any other options?! My name is mud, with Homeland, with NYPD, with everyone. And girls are dying and I can’t get anyone to give me the time of day and –”

“Hold up. The hell do you mean girls are dyin’? What girls?”

“Working girls. And their young Frank, barely more than kids.”

“How? Why?”

“Meet me and I can explain. I’ll text you a time and location.”

And then the line went dead.

Frank pressed the phone to his forehead for a minute, resisting the urge to hurl it at the wall.

When the feeling passed, he turned and headed back inside.

“Hey I’m sorry bout…”

But he tailed off.

Because Lily was no longer sat in her booth.

All that remained was a half eaten plate of fries, empty milkshake glass and a note scribbled on a scrap of paper.

**_Had to jet.  
Peace out till next time Pete.   
Buffy x_ **

Chuckling at the sign off, Frank flopped back down into his booth.

“Hey Gina? Can I get another coffee?”

Gina, the waitress who always knocked five dollars of his cheque, smiled and said

“Coming right up Pete!” before disappearing back behind the counter, her long red hair swish, swish, swishing down her back.

Gina was smoking hot.

They’d fucked a couple times, always at her place.

She had ended it.

Gina wanted a cookie cutter life.

Husband, kids, a dog (or cat or goldfish) white picket fence, the works.

She knew Frank wasn’t that guy.

Or as she had said

_“I don’t think you want that. But I think you will. Eventually. Just not with me. And that’s okay.”_

Gina was probably the closest thing to a friend he had.

Besides Lily.

Lily the Vampire Slayer.

The smile that had been building at his little joke died when his text alert went off.

It had to be Madani.

**Bacrier Dockyard  
05:30.   
No guns.**

“Shit.” He muttered.

Madani had some nerve.

But she was smart.

Because even as Frank cursed the Agent with every word under the sun, he knew that he would go.

At least to find out why little girls were dying.

And why he had to be the one to stop it.

* * *

Madani looked like shit.

And if Frank Castle thought you looked like shit, you definitely looked like shit.

She was leaning against a shipping container, clearly lost in thought as she didn’t hear him approach. When he cleared his throat she span round, Glock aimed at his head.

“Thought you said no guns.” Frank said and Madani scoffed.

“Tell me with a straight face that you’re not armed right now.”

Frank just gave her a

_“No shit”_ look and then said gruffly

“You wanna tell me why I’m here?”

In answer, Madani tossed a leather-bound notebook at him, which Frank caught with ease.

He flipped through the pages of notes on crime scenes, autopsy notes and theories. He didn’t even blink when the first photo of a dead girl appeared.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

The only hint of a reaction came when the mutilated face of a girl who couldn’t be more than fourteen appeared on the next page.

Frank’s jaw clenched ever so slightly.

“Explain.” He barked closing the book on the dead girl’s face.

“You ever heard of the Zancanelli’s?”

“No.”

“You surprise me Castle.” Madani deadpanned “Leo Zancanelli took his family to the top of the city on blood money. He’s a mob guy through and through, the usual gig; hides all the shady shit behind legitimate businesses.”

“Okay, so the guy's a scumbag. He the one who likes killing little girls?”

Madani shook her head.

“That would be his nephew, Oliver Zancanelli. Page 43.”

Frank thumbed through the book until he found a photograph of a man who looked so smug, Frank already wanted to punch his lights out.

“He has a proclivity for prostitutes. He likes them young. And then, when the mood strikes him, he likes cutting them up.”

Madani took a step closer to Frank.

“No one will go near this guy. No one will even listen. I’m out of options Frank.”

“What so you give me a name and I just go kill him? That how this works now Madani, you point, I shoot?”

“I don’t know what else to do here Castle!” Madani sounded angry, but more than that she sounded desperate.

“I got reassigned and within a month, four of those girls came across my desk. Beth Myers, Sierra Ruskin, Keandra Butane, Alicia Connor. Alicia was getting pimped out by her step-father and Zancanelli almost cut her head off. That was after he tortured her. The M.E reckons for almost five hours. She was fifteen. Lisa would be turning fifteen this year, right Frank?”

With a growl, Frank had grabbed Madani by her collar and pulled her close, his gun pressing against her temple.

“You leave my girl outta this! You don’t say her name, YOU HEAR ME!? THAT’s MY DAUGHTER YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!”

“Joy Masterson. Molly Ringsell. Precious Miller. Eliza Skellig…”

“Shut up.”

“Mandy Oswald.”

“You shut your mouth!”

“Kiera McMan – ”

“ALRIGHT! CHRIST!”

Frank released the demoted agent.

He stormed away from her, pacing back and forth for a minute before spinning back to face her.

“I do this, and I never hear from you again, you got it? The only way you’re gonna know I’m not dead in a ditch somewhere is if I contact you. Say you understand!”

Madani looked at him for a moment before nodding.

“I understand.”

Frank pulled his hood up over his head and started to walk away before he paused for a moment. He didn’t turn to face her, but said to Madani over his shoulder

“I ever hear my daughter’s name come outta your mouth again Madani, and the next person I put a bullet in will be you.”

And just like that, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Frank has a mission.   
> Maybe it will get Madani off his back.   
> I know this was a kind of slow chapter but I swear it's gonna get more exciting in the next few chapters.   
> Let me know what you think.   
> More soon.   
> Geronimo xx


	3. Delivery For Room 302

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank's angry.   
> Oliver Zancanelli might want to hide under a rock for a while.   
> And Frank gets a surprise.

Frank knew it was stupid.

He could of just taken the shot from another building. Clean through the window, into Zancanelli’s brain.

But goddamitt if Dinah fuckin’ Madani hadn’t got in his head with her fuckin’ notebook full of dead little girls and using his dead fuckin’ daughters name.

He wanted to make this perverted piece of shit Zancanelli, suffer before he put a bullet in his head.

Prick was holed up in some fancy hotel.

Probably waiting for the next girl he was going to carve up.

He’d seen several girls walk in the front entrance, all legs, heels, hair and boobs.

They were not the one’s who would be going to Zancanelli.

Escorts like that were commonplace in hotels like that.

Zancanelli went for hookers not escorts, young girls who were new to the life and didn’t know how to keep safe.

Girls like that were snuck in through the back.

It was time.

Frank pulled his hood up over his head and grabbed the box he had brought with him.

He walked around the back of the building towards a corrugated metal door, with a buzzer and intercom next to it.

He pressed the button and a bored sounding voice crackled through the speaker.

“What?”

“Yeah I got a delivery for room 302? Front desk told me it had to come through you guys.”

“Jesus Christ, again with this shit.” He heard the voice say before there was a beeping sound and the he heard the door unlock.

“Look man, I don’t know what front desk told you but –”

The poor kid didn’t get any more words out before Frank’s arm was wrapped around his neck.

“Easy goes, you’re just gonna sleep… just gonna sleep… easy…” Frank almost sang under his breath as he felt the kid go limp against him.

He lay the kid on the floor, checked he hadn’t killed him and then proceeded further into the hotel.

He only passed a few people and those he did, paid him little attention, to wrapped up in their own conversations or focused on what fancy ass restaurant they were heading to for dinner.

Frank made it to room 302 without incident.

From his recon, he knew that Zancanelli bought out the whole floor and sometimes the one below as well, depending on the hotel.

He needed the privacy.

Frank’s hand closed around the handle of his knife and he pulled it out, holding it behind his back.

He knocked on the door.

One, two, three.

“Yo I got a delivery for a Mr Zanca – Zanca somethin’?”

“Wrong room buddy.” Came an oily voice from inside.

“Nah, my order number says 302, hey, hey can you take a look, point me in the right direction?”

There was a silence that lasted about ten seconds.

Then a door closed.

Then there were footsteps.

The door opened and the man from Madani’s book was glowering at him. Tall, blonde and wearing a white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up and black pants.

“You Mr Zancanelli?” asked Frank, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah but I didn’t order anyth – ”

Crack.

Frank had smacked Oliver’s head off the door frame then shoved him back into the hotel room, kicking the door closed behind him.

“Argh shit! Christ! Look, what – whatever – whatever you want – I – I got money, anything – anything you want at all –”

“Shut up!” Frank growled, following up with a boot to the ribs. He reached down grabbed Oliver by the scruff of the neck and slammed him into the wall.

“You like cuttin’ up little girls Oli? Huh?”

“Wh – what?!”

“What’s the matter huh? What, you can’t get it up so you take it out on them? HUH IS THAT IT?”

“No, look I’m sorry, I – I am so sorry! Pl – please – please don’t kill me man AAARGHH!” Oliver begged before crying out as Frank plunged his knife into his shoulder, so far that it hit the wall behind him.

“Let me ask you something Oli boy” Frank said like he hadn’t just stabbed the young man “Did they beg? All those girls you tortured and murdered. Did they beg you to stop? Beg for their lives?”

Oliver just moaned in response clutching at his shoulder.

Frank hit him.

Once. Twice. Three times. And then again.

“I asked you a question Oli. And don’t you dare lie to me.”

Oliver sniffled and Frank grabbed his throat roaring into his face

“DID THEY BEG YOU SON OF A BITCH!?” 

“Yes! Yes they begged – they – they begged! God I’m sorry!”

Frank pulled the blade out of the younger man’s shoulder and he dropped to the floor, sobbing.

“You know what Oli? I think me and you are gonna spend a little time together. See, I heard that one of those girls you hurt, you tortured her for five hours.”

Frank gave a nasty smile in Oliver’s direction.

“Think you can last five hours Oli?”

Oliver whimpered pitifully and tried to crawl towards the door.

Frank stalked towards him, almost lazily before stamping down on the back of his knee with a crunch, that had Oliver writhing in even more pain on the carpet.

As Frank made to pull him up, he paused.

He had heard a noise.

A human noise.

It was quiet and muffled but it sounded like a whimper, different to the pitiful sounds coming from the man on the ground.

“Oliver… you got a girl in here?” Frank’s voice was low. Calm.

Dangerous.

Oliver groaned as Frank literally walked over him towards a door in the corner that must lead to the bathroom.

Pulling his gun out of his holster Frank paused by the door, listening.

He heard the noise again.

Slowly he pushed the door open.

And then something happened, that rarely happened to Frank Castle.

He froze.

“Lily?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LILY! WHATCHA DOIN IN A PSYCHO'S BATHROOM GIRL!?!?  
> Hey I know it's short but I wanted to get something out sooner rather than later.   
> Hope this is a good build up to all the drama to follow.   
> Let me know what you think, I love hearing from y'all, you make me want to write more and better.   
> More soon.   
> Geronimo xx


	4. In His Shirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank sees red.   
> Lily can't cry.   
> Oh what a wonderful mess they are.

His first instinct was murder.

Pure, brutal, bloody murder for the man laying out on the floor behind him.

Because it was Lily.

.

.

.

But he couldn’t.

Because it was Lily.

And she needed him first.

The asshole Zancanelli had put her in the bathtub, duct tap over her mouth and around her wrists.

Her jet black hair was the kind of messy that hair gets after someone drags you by it and there was a lot of red on her face. A red mark on her cheek, red rimmed eyes from crying and a trickle of red blood coming from her nose.

“Lily.”

Frank was at her side in an instant and his hand soared through her hair to cup her head and tilt it checking for anymore damage than what he could see already.

Gently he pulled the tape from her mouth, his anger spiking again as she winced at the pain.

“Pete? P – Pete what – what are you…”

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. I’m gonna take you outta here alright? Just hold still for a second, ‘m gonna get this off your hands.”

He pulled his knife out again and carefully sliced through the duct tape around her wrists before lifting her out of the tub.

When she set her feet on solid ground, Lily swayed and staggered slightly. Frank slung an arm around her lower back to support her and Lily clung to his arm like a lifeline.

“Okay, okay attagirl. Can you walk?”

Slowly, Lily nodded her head.

“Think so.”

They walked out of the bathroom, Frank supporting Lily the whole way.

When she saw Oliver Zancanelli on the floor Lily shrank into Frank slightly as they passed the incapacitated man.

“Hey, hey don’t look at him. You look at me okay. He ain’t ever gonna lay hands on you again okay?” Frank growled.

They walked out of the hotel room door and Frank leant Lily against the wall.

“You stay here okay? I gotta finish this.”

“Pete?”

Frank turned around to see Lily’s dark eyes boring into his.

“You gonna kill him?”

“Yeah.” Frank saw no reason to lie.

“I wanna do it.”

“No.”

“Let me do it.”

“Lily…”

“He was gonna torture me Pete. I heard you. He was gonna carve me up and kill me. I. Wanna. Do. It.”

“You wanna do it?”

Lily nodded, her jaw clenched.

He thought for a moment.

The he handed her the gun.

“Don’t miss.”

With a pained expression, and using one hand to clutch her ribs, Lily limped back into the hotel room, Frank right behind her.

Zancanelli had pulled himself into a sitting position against the wall but he cowered when he saw Lily pointing the gun at him.

“Please – please don’t kill me! I’m sorry I hurt you, I’m so sorry, p – p – please!”

Lily cocked the gun and held it against the man’s head.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Her hand was starting to shake.

And then she lowered the weapon.

“Give it to me.”

Wordlessly Lily handed the gun to Frank.

“Close your eyes.”

She didn’t argue.

And Frank didn’t hesitate.

Two seconds later and there was a bullet in Zancanelli’s head and a blood spatter across the wall that stretched for over two metres.

In his head, Frank was thinking about the fact that the bastard should have suffered way more than he did and for much longer.

But he had to end it then and there.

Because it was Lily.

She was more important than the bloodlust that was still raging through his veins.

“Keep your eyes closed” he muttered before helping her to limp out of the room.

“My bag.”

Frank didn’t speak, just went back and snatched up the satchel bag that was dumped in the corner of the room, and left again, closing the door behind him.

“Okay. You can look now kid.”

Lily slowly blinked her eyes open.

“ ‘m not a kid.” She mumbled and Frank almost laughed.

They took the service elevator down until they reached a corridor from which they could see the door leading into the lavish lobby.

“Listen to me” Frank was all business now “You’re gonna run out there screaming your fuckin’ head off. You tell them what he did. Tell them a guy in a mask broke in, shouted something about money and then killed him and set you free. You tell them bout everythin’ except me okay?”

“Don’t – don’t leave me, Pete please – ”

“Hey, Hey!” Frank grabbed her by the shoulders and bent so that they were eye level. “Hold it together. You can fall apart later, right now you gotta keep your shit in line, or we’re both either dead on in jail okay?”

He gave her a little shake. Then he softened his voice.

Well as soft as Frank Castle was capable of being.

“Hey. Give me your phone.”

With trembling hands, she mutely handed over her phone from her bag.

“I’m gonna send a message to my phone. When the cops are finished with you, I’ll send you an address.”

Lily inhaled, exhaled and nodded.

“You wait till I’m outta sight. Count to twenty then start screamin’.”

He squeezed her shoulder and then took off, round the corner and out of sight.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

“HELP ME! GOD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME PLEASE!!!!”

As he ran, Frank smiled at the screaming.

“Attagirl.” 

* * *

**129 Carnaby Street.  
Block 19  
Apartment 9C.  
  
Be smart. **

**P.**

From the moment she ran screaming into the hotel lobby, Lily had wanted nothing more than to break down and cry.

But for some reason, the tears wouldn’t come.

The screaming had been enough to convince the hotel staff and patrons that she had experienced a trauma.

The cops chalked up her lack of tears to shock. They gave her a lift to the diner and she walked from there to the address Pete had texted to her.

Lily walked in sort of a numb haze, barely noticing the various catcalls and comments about her less than decent appearance.

_“A guy hurt me. He was going to torture and kill me. Why the fuck can’t I cry?”_

Before she knew it, she found herself stood outside apartment 9C.

He opened the door after the third knock.

“Come in.” he muttered tersely.

Meekly, Lily walked into his apartment, now acutely aware that she was in a mini skirt, tank top and five-inch heels. The numbness was wearing off a little now, giving way to shame.

She had never wanted the man who was pretty much her only friend, to see her like this, to see her this weak, this… disgusting.

“Pete I – ”

“Bathroom’s down the hall on the right. Go shower.”

“I don’t have any…”

Lily grimaced and gestured at her clothes.

“Don’t worry bout it. I got stuff.”

Wordlessly, Lily walked down the hall and pushed open a door that led to a small bathroom.

Toilet, shower, sink and one small cupboard on the wall.

Getting undressed was painful. Her stomach was aching from where Zancanelli had slammed his boot into her. There was a cut on her side, that stung awfully as she peeled her tank top off.

As soon as she was naked, the stepped into the shower, turned the water on and turned it up as hot as she could stand. Like she was trying to burn away the past twelve hours. She didn’t stay in too long however, not wanting to waste his hot water. Just long enough to wash her hair and clean herself using the non – descript bottle of hair and body wash sitting on the side.

Just as she shut the water off, there were two sharp knocks on the door.

“Outside.” Came his voice, then she heard his footsteps walking away.

Lily cracked open the door and found a small pile of material on the floor. It turned out to be a towel, a t – shirt and a pair of boxers. They must be his, they were huge. Big enough that when she slipped them on, the t-shirt came almost to her knees and she had to use one of her hair ties to stop the boxers falling down.

She didn’t want to leave the bathroom.

Didn’t want to face him.

But she did.

* * *

Frank heard the bathroom door open once then close and heard it open again about ten minutes later.

He turned around as Lily came padding into the room on bare feet.

“Sit” he said and she did so, sitting tensely on one side of the old couch.

Frank grabbed the box from the coffee table and crouched in front of her, pulling out various medical supplies.

“C’mere.” He muttered, gesturing to her split lip, that had reopened after she scrubbed her face clean in the shower.

He cleaned the cuts, gave her ice for the bruise on her cheek and then paused.

“Shirt. Up.”

“What?” Lily blinked, guard immediately up even though deep down she knew she had nothing to fear from him.

“You were bleedin’ when you came in. Gotta check it.”

Lily nodded and lifted the right side of his shirt, revealing the cut just under her ribs.

Frank cleaned it, put antiseptic on it and covered it with a dressing, before getting to his feet and moving to lean against the wall across from Lily’s position on the couch.

The silence that stretched out was painful for Lily.

She sat, legs crossed underneath her twisting the hem of the shirt between her fingers.

“Pete I – ”

“I ain’t sayin’ it’s your fault… but what the hell were you thinkin’?”

Lily couldn’t speak.

Frank ploughed on, knowing that the anger in his voice sounded like it was directed at her, even though it wasn’t.

Not really.

Okay.

Maybe it was a bit.

“How long you been doin’ this?”

“Two months.” Lily’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“Why?”

Lily shifted uncomfortably.

“Don’t ask me that. Please.”

Frank almost growled for a moment before he barked out

“Yeah no offence Lily, but I dragged your ass outta a psycho’s bathroom tonight so I think I’ve got the right to ask you a few questions. Like why you’re turnin’ tricks?”

Lily didn’t answer and Frank could feel himself losing his temper.

“Christ girl quit bein’ so goddamn stubborn. You wanna know how many girls I’ve seen die doin’ what you’re doin’? That guy tonight, him alone, he killed nine and they didn’t go nice. And if it wasn’t him it would have been some other dirtbag that would’ve cut your damn throat.”

“I know it’s dangerous…” Lily murmured.

“Then why would you be so goddamn stupid?! Explain it to me Lily, tell me, give me a fuckin’ reason that a smart girl like you is doin’ this? Or you just expecting me to run around savin’ your dumbass for the rest of goddamn time –”

“You know what fuck you Pete!”

It seemed that Lily had found her voice again. She got to her feet and marched across the room to glare up into his face.

Her next words were her first mistake.

“You don’t get to judge me. Yeah tonight got fucked up and I am damn lucky to be alive and I’m grateful to you for that. But I’m a big girl, I learn from my fuck ups and I wont ever be in that position again. So don’t worry, you don’t need to protect me forever, I’ll take care of myself.”

She turned her back to him.

That was her second mistake.

Lily felt a hand grab the back of her neck, and the next thing she knew she had been slammed face first into the wall.

Frank crowded in so close, he could feel her ribs through his shirt as he twisted one of her arms up behind her back and pressed his right forearm into the back of her neck, pinning her in place.

“You can take care of yourself huh? Guy comes at you, a guy like me, what’re you gonna do? Huh? COME ON FIGHT ME LILY, YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF REMEMBER?” he roared next to her ear.

“Pete – ah! Frank – Frank you’re hurting me please, I’m sorry, Frank I – ”

Wait a fucking second.

She had called him Frank.

Lily didn’t know Frank Castle, she knew Pete.

But she had called him Frank.

Well shit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hope you enjoyed!  
> Sooooo how does Lily know Frank's name?  
> And awww my poor bby Franky really dont know nothin' but tough love does he?  
> Let me know what you think.   
> More soon.   
> Geronimo xx

**Author's Note:**

> So I discovered the Punisher and finished the first season in less than two days.   
> I love Frank Castle.   
> I want him to be happy but goddammit if I ain't gonna make him suffer before that happens.   
> Let me know what you think.   
> Gimme a shout and let me know.   
> And enjoy.   
> Geronimo xx


End file.
